The Information Commission will discharge its responsibilities independently and impartially to strengthen democratic practices and good governance in the country, Chief Information Commissioner Professor Dr Nahrin Islam Khan has said.

“The Information Commission will not take sides with either the government or the people. It will remain completely neutral,” she said.

She made the remarks at a press briefing on the newly formed commission’s 100-day action plan at the commission’s conference room in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Thursday morning.

Professor Nahrin said the commission’s first step towards establishing its independent and impartial role officially began through the presence of journalists and their news coverage.

She said the doors of the Information Commission would always remain open to journalists, expressing hope that collective efforts would help take the institution to its desired position.

Highlighting the commission’s operational challenges, she said only 22 officers and employees were currently working against 76 approved positions in the 15-storey commission building. Despite the shortage of manpower, the commission was continuing its activities on a limited scale.

Outlining the 100-day action plan to make the commission more public-oriented, the chief information commissioner said a week-long ‘Information Fair Week’ would be organised at the university level during the last week of November to raise awareness about the Right to Information (RTI).

Similar awareness programmes would also be introduced at schools and colleges across the country, she added.

She further announced that hearings on 95 complaints would begin at the commission’s own office from November 16. These complaints are part of 917 cases that had remained pending over the past two years.

More than 200 new complaints have already been submitted since the new commission took office, she said.

The commission also plans to provide training for journalists, content creators and politicians. Websites of institutions operated with government funding or foreign grants will be monitored, while universities across the country will be encouraged to formulate information disclosure policies.

Letters have already been sent to the vice-chancellors of all universities in this regard, she added.

Referring to the commission’s lack of significant achievements over the past 17 years, Nahrin Islam Khan said constructive criticism and cooperation from journalists would help the institution overcome its challenges.

Speaking at the briefing, Information Commissioner S A M Mahfuzur Rahman said the Right to Information Act and the Information Commission could play a game-changing role in ensuring people’s access to information.

He described the media as the commission’s biggest partner, saying both institutions would work together to establish transparency and accountability.

He also highlighted the growing risks of misinformation and disinformation amid the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and information technology. The media could play an important role in countering these threats and ensuring objective and evidence-based information, he said.

Another Information Commissioner, Khan Mohammad Abul Hossain, said a huge backlog of work had accumulated due to the commission’s inactivity over the past two years.

“We have started working with a 100-day action plan to overcome this crisis,” he said, urging the media to play a stronger role in raising public awareness about the Right to Information Act and helping people understand their rights.